The invention concerns magnets used for retaining items on metal surfaces and for display. More specifically the invention relates to an enclosure for a rectangular magnet with provision for displaying artwork, graphics or text from the enclosure.
A molded magnet enclosure for the type of magnet with which this invention is concerned is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,987. The enclosure of that patent was an elongated box in the shape of a rectangular solid, formed of a single piece, one small side of the box being formed as a door so that the magnet could be inserted lengthwise into the box. While this was effective to envelop and enclose the magnet, it had the disadvantage of placing a layer of plastic material between the magnet and the metal surface on which the magnet was to be placed, thus weakening the attractive power of the magnet.
Subsequently, magnets have been encased in five-sided rectangular enclosures of plastic, leaving one large rectangular face of the magnet not covered by the box. This exposed face has then been covered by a paper or plastic sticker with adhesive on one side, thereby allowing some form of text, graphic or pictorial display which could be observed when the magnet was not in use against a metal surface, but which would be hidden when the magnet was in use. The outer side of the box could have a design or graphic if desired, but this would generally have to be hot-stamped, silk-screened or pad printed onto the plastic box face or accomplished by some other form of add-on applied to the box exterior.
The invention described herein allows printed material to be secured between two layers of a magnet enclosure or cover. Two rectangular boxes are provided, an inner box fitting inside a clear outer box. Both boxes are open at one large side, so that a magnet can be contained in the interior of the inner box. Both the inner and outer boxes can be injection molded of a plastic material such as styrene.
Some form of snap-together device is preferably included between the boxes, so that when the inner box is forced into the outer box, a resistance is encountered until the inner box is substantially fully inserted in the outer box, at which point there is a snapping action at multiple locations coacting between the narrow side walls of the boxes. This may include some form of bump which passes over a ridge or into a depression, thereby effectively locking the two shells or boxes together. In one embodiment this snap-together means is a series of nipples or bumps on one side wall surface, and correspondingly-located recesses on the other surface, the nipples and recesses being on either of the outer box""s inner side wall surfaces or the inner box""s outer side wall surfaces. For example, three of these bumps or recesses can be provided in each of the elongated side walls which will become adjacent when the inner and outer boxes are snapped together.
This inner and outer shell arrangement permits a sheet of graphic material to be provided for display, to be placed between the large rectangular walls of the inner and outer boxes, thus visible from outside the clear shell of the outer box. Such a graphic can be sandwiched into the magnet case before the covered magnet is sold, such as for the advertising specialty business; alternatively, a graphic can be individually and personally created by a consumer if the magnet casing is sold in parts, prior to being snapped together, for the retail marketplace.
The magnet and casing could be round if desired, with a circular (or oval) display piece held between round outer and inner shells.
In a preferred embodiment the inner box is xe2x80x9creversiblexe2x80x9d; that is, it can be assembled into the outer box shell to form a closed box, and the snap-together devices will retain it closed. Thus, a magnet can be fully contained, by walls on all sides, if desired.
It is thus among the objects of the invention to provide a simple and effective construction for a magnet casing or enclosure, for efficiently holding a graphic or other display item at the outer surface of the casing, opposite the location of the magnet face. These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, considered along with the accompanying drawings.